The Light of the World

Most every Sunday, a small group of people gather in my home for some coffee and community. We all met each other because of an interest in the Unitarian Universalist church, and we usually spend our Sunday mornings drinking coffee, listening to a podcast, and having some discussion afterwards.

This morning, we listened to a podcast by Barbara H. Gadon, Interim Senior Minister at First Unitarian Church in Chicago. It was titled "The Light of the World," and, not surprisingly, was about the upcoming celebration of Jesus' birth and that saying we hear so often that He is the "light of the world." 

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.  No one after lighting a lamp pus it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so hat they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven." 

For much of my life, I heard something said about Jesus being the light of the world and I got the impression that Jesus was a light sent to our dark world. But if you read that passage above from Matthew, it's very clear that Jesus was telling us that the light has been here all along. "You are the light of the world." WE are that light. We all posses that divine spark. 

"'The light of the world'" was a common expression in Jewish tradition at that [Jesus'] time. Rabbis taught that God was the light of the world, or that the Torah or the tribe of Israel was the light of the world. So saying, 'You are the light of the world' to ordinary people, most of whom were poor and struggling, was something radically different. Different ways to understand this might be: You are like God. Or, you have God in you. Or, your heart is as important as the Torah. It would have startled most people; it would have enraged the priests as blasphemy. It would also have given people hope." - Barbara H. Gadon

In the way I used to intepret it, "the light of world," had a feeling of exclusivity to it - that only those people who took Jesus as their savior could have the light in their life. That Jesus was the only light. But I don't think that's what Jesus ever really intended. I believe Jesus was sent as a sort of reflection of the light we already posses - a way for us to see what living IN the light, WITH the knowledge of the light, can look like. Jesus pointed the finger not at himself, but at all of us.

"He was speaking to the rest of us. You, whose marriage failed, or who remained single in a world where people are expected to be married - you are light. You with a jailed child, you are light. Your child is, too. You who work at a job you hate, you who lost your job -- you are light. You are light when your don't like yourself very much, when you have failed. That's the miracle of the light - God in you - it's still there and it can even be there against your will." - Barbara H. Gadon

The brilliance of His light was, and still is, something to aspire to - a deep, out-of-this-world, connection with God. I believe there have been many spiritual teachers throughout time who lived in such a way that the light of God was amplified to those around them. And Jesus was one of the best examples. 

So this Christmas, I will teach my children about the "light of the world." I will teach them that this light is already inside them - inside everyone - and that they have within them the ability to make their light shine, or to keep it hidden away. Jesus gave instructions to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven." This teaching can apply to everyone, no matter who they are, and no matter what they believe. I want my kids to learn about Jesus so that they can learn from one of the greatest lights that has ever shown. I want them to learn to use their light to create connection with something greater than themselves. That's what we'll be celebrating on Christmas - the light of Jesus that helped us to see the light in ourselves. 

How do you celebrate or remember "the light of the world?" How do you teach this to your children?